Small steps for a big change

Growing up in my small hometown, I slowly started to develop an interest in the environment and the impact our lives have on it. As part of a modest, working-class family, at that time, I couldn’t say I had such a big impact ( or so I would’ve thought ) on the environment, as we didn’t have access to many things that are considered sort of ordinary today. We didn’t own a car or washing machine, didn’t eat much prepackaged processed food or buy new clothes too often. But in time, I started to gather more information about this and realized that there are many ( some really small ) things each one of us can do for our planet, which we so easily call it home and take for granted.

In the course of the next articles, I want to share with you some of the things I’ve learned in the past years and I feel are not mentioned enough, especially in our country.

And just a small tip. If you are passionate about this, don’t ever give up on your beliefs. No matter what other people say to you, trust yourself. Every small step counts.

Over time, I’ve had people told me that my actions don’t count and I’m just wasting my time, trying to fix something that’s too big for me. But that’s not true. All big changes consist of multiple smaller ones. And all small changes are deeply connected to each other. Be one of those changes.

Try more natural fiber clothing

Until a couple of years ago, I can’t say I was paying much attention to my clothing, apart from the visual aspect. Sure, I’ve always heard about the health benefits of cotton clothing, but it wasn’t something showcased as very important, or at least, this is how I experienced it. Plus, cotton is usually more expensive than all the cheap clothing produced today, in this fast fashion environment, making it not so appealing for the majority of people.

What made me change my mind?

Two years ago, I first moved into a rented apartment, where one of the “not so great things” about it was the washing machine, which is not completely installed. Meaning that the water drain plug is not connected to the water system, and each time I’m using the washing machine, I have to put that cable in the shower tub, so the used water can drain. This is how I had the chance to see exactly what comes out of the washing machine. And it’s not a beautiful sight.

I started to read about this, to understand more about what’s happening and it really shocked me.

Just try to imagine the magnitude of this. At every wash, hundreds of thousands of polyester microfibers are flushed down the drain. Reaching our oceans and lands, they either remain there for hundreds of years, until they finally biodegrade, or get swallowed by fishes, they get to have a huge impact on us, ending up on our plates, lungs, body.

What we can do about this?

The answer is pretty straightforward here. A small, but important thing we can do, is try to invest in fewer, quality clothes, instead of cheap ones, made of polyester or any other kind of synthetic fabric. This change will help us in more than one way, as wearing natural, breathable clothes is much more comfortable and enjoyable than stiff, scratchy clothes.